Moving Ahead

This past Monday, July 23, I took over as chairperson of the Lancaster County Library Board. Between you, me, and the fencepost, there really is not much to it. Show up to the meetings (every other month) on time, start the meeting on time, know a little of Robert's Rules, and then get out of Dodge with the budget still in the black.

I've been on the board since...hmm...2004? I think so. I can't really remember. I took over the Indian Land spot from Pat Lowe, media specialist at ILEMS.

When I first accepted the position from then councilman Stanley Smith, I asked Pat what the library board was working on.

"Well, we've been trying to get a library up here the entire time I've been on it," she said. "Maybe you'll be lucky and it'll get built while you are on."

It looks like that will happen! Last Monday as I led the meeting, I entertained a motion to accept the plans for the new Del Webb Library @ Indian Land. AND, I entertained a motion to go for bids "as soon as is practical." The motions were carried unanimously.

As I listened to our architect, Danny Shelley, tell us that we are all ready to go...our part is done...I glanced down at the draft of the bid specs and saw my name in huge letters on the front. Bids will be submitted to Karen Paulson, Chair, Lancaster County Library.

It doesn't matter that I don't know the first thing about bids or buildings or temperatures at which concrete must be poured. We have professionals for that. But I am completely in awe of the responsibility and honor of being part of the board as we embark on this adventure. It's going to be hard for me to not feel like a proud owner the first time I walk into our new library!

We hope to go out for bid at the end of September. There are still some final permits to obtain, some final things to iron out about the utilities. But once those bids are received and accepted, we will hit the ground running. We still have a little more than $400k to raise, but we are really hoping that Indian Land will catch the fever and drop in their nickels and dimes when they start seeing the bricks being laid.